


Seven Years

by wishfulFeline



Category: Hooky (Webcomic)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, gay people be like, i love cute things so much, mark is a cute thing, mark is smug, nico is a gay fool, nicomark is the main pairing, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 21:23:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20346940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishfulFeline/pseuds/wishfulFeline
Summary: He had determined that during such an important time in their lives, the first time that they were all gathered together again in years, where there was once more hope for a happy life...he needed to get these feelings off his chest. The feelings he’d had for so much of his life. The feelings that had fluctuated with time and in certain severe circumstances, but never entirely left him. Now they were together again. Talking just like they once had. Their connection both natural yet subtly intimate at the same time. He needed to tell him.For years Nico Pendragon was deeply in love with Mark Evans.





	Seven Years

**Author's Note:**

> my dumbass out here with so many unfinished fics to work on and i bust this out in one evening whoopsie  
i ADORE marknico i have loved it for so long right from the start and no matter what the endgame pairings are i will continue to ship this  
the fact mark blushed and teared up when nico complimented him and not when the others did (and that nico blushed super hard after too) i was like this is it this is fucking it i have no choice but to write gay shit now mhm mhm  
please enjoy this fic and please dont comment something like oooh but nicodani oooh if u dont wanna party with the marknico then dont come in broski

It was evening when it happened. Damien escorted William out of the room, drunk off his rockers. Dorian and Monica left to their own rooms at the same time, but it was essentially a guarantee the two lovebirds would be meeting up prior to falling asleep. Dani and Aisha were already separate from the rest of them, as it was just the group that most remembered how Pendragon’s home looked prior to its destruction that had spent the evening together. Nico shifted uneasily on his feet, not really sure where he should stay. He could sleep in the room that was once his during childhood. He knew he’d be welcomed into the homes of any of his old friends for just one night. Mark’s too.

Yet, that wasn’t the major reason for Nico’s anxiety. He had determined that during such an important time in their lives, the first time that they were all gathered together again in years, where there was once more hope for a happy life...he needed to get these feelings off his chest. The feelings he’d had for so much of his life. The feelings that had fluctuated with time and in certain severe circumstances, but never entirely left him. Now they were together again. Talking just like they once had. Their connection both natural yet subtly intimate at the same time. He needed to tell him.

For years Nico Pendragon was deeply in love with Mark Evans. It’s such a cliche to fall in love with your best friend, especially your childhood best friend, but it’s not like he had decided on this. It just was. It wasn’t that he hadn’t loved Dani too, but he’d eventually accepted that she needed him by her side not as a lover, but a protector. She needed him. Not the way he once yearned for in their early years of friendship. Nico knew that for such a long time after he and Mark rekindled their relationship that whenever Mark and Dani talked and seemed close, he couldn’t tell who he would rather be.

Dani had changed greatly, but the following day would be their biggest opportunity to at least return her memories to her. The memories of all their friendships that persevered through so many hardships that never ended. The memories of her crush on Mark and Nico’s crush on her. He decided this was the final real chance he’d have for a positive outcome.

No matter how terrified he was...to talk about his feelings ever, but especially then, he’d decided. He wouldn’t back down. 

So, with that thought in his mind, he stopped Mark. He was about to head out, back to his own residence. His crush turned partway to look at him. “Nico? Are you okay?”

Nico clenched his teeth, trying to hide his expression behind his bangs. “There’s something I need to talk to you about. Like, to you specifically. And it’s important.” Mark sighed but turned to look at him head on with an inquisitive look on his face and his hands on his hips.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Mark asked, trying to guess Nico’s request ahead of time. 

Nico huffed, clenching his eyebrows closer together. “Of course I am, how could I not be? Aren’t all of us?” and before Mark could speak up, “You don’t need to answer that.”

He continued, grinding the ball of his foot on the floor. “That isn’t what I wanted to talk about though. But I’m...God, I’m so fucking scared to say this.”

Mark leaned down just a bit to attempt to meet Nico’s eyes. The moment he could, Nico’s gaze darted to the floor quickly before his heart got the best of him. “You can trust me, Nico. Whatever it is, I don’t think I could ever hate you,” Mark reassured him.

Nico frowned deeply. “I do trust you. I trust you more than I trust anyone else in the world. I’ve told you time and time again and I’ll keep saying it, you’re my best friend and always will be.”  
Mark smiled, confused where Nico was trying to take the conversation, but touched anyways. Nico reached over to hold one of Mark’s wrists, the other glancing over at it. Not to keep Mark from leaving, but to keep himself from doing so in fear. “That’s why I don’t want to mess that up. I don’t want to risk putting more strain on our friendship again. I know you’ll be nice about it, but if I make you uncomfortable around me I won’t forgive myself for it.”

Nico’s made to release Mark’s arm when the other reached up to grasp both his shoulders. “Nico. Please, just tell me, okay? The more you build this up the more scared I’m getting and I feel like you’re scaring yourself too.” Mark said sternly.

Nico nodded reluctantly. “I love you,” he said, hardly audible. Mark leaned in closer, unsure if what he heard was right.

Nico looked up at him, faces closer than he expected them to be. Their eyes met. “Mark, I’m in love with you.” Nico tensed up under Mark’s hands, but Mark didn’t release him. He jolted in surprise, blushing when Mark leaned forward and placed his forehead against the side of Nico’s neck.

“Oh, thank God,” Mark said after a sigh of relief. Nico’s mind raced with what that response could possibly entail. “I thought it was going to be something horrible, like you accidentally killed someone.”

Nico stumbled back, Mark having to rebalance himself. “W-What the fuck!? Of course not! I’m way more careful than that, even Dorian has become more reckless than me!” he snapped, flustered by the unexpected accusation. Mark laughed lightheartedly before stopping to look at Nico again.

“I know, I know. That is true, I’d never have expected that when I first met him.” The two of them nodded in agreement. There was a short silence between them before Mark broke it again. “How long?”

Nico wanted to ask How long what? but he knew what he meant. “About seven years.” Mark raised his eyebrows, expression a mixture of shock and concern.

“Seven years!? Nico, that’s a really long time!” Mark exclaimed.

“Of course I know that! But, it’s not like I could do anything about it!” Nico retorted. He continued, being unable to stop himself. “No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop feeling that way about you. Even when I had a crush on Dani, I still had a crush on you, and after that, I still love you!”  
Being the crybaby he was, Nico couldn’t hold in the tears that grew in the corners of his eyes. “How could I possibly have told you? So much has happened these past six years. Both of us have gone through so much and spent so much time apart. Why would I tell you and risk making that even more troublesome…?”

He rubbed his forearms against his face, wiping away his tears. “Geez, Nico…” Mark said softly. “You’ve made so many assumptions, and I think you probably hurt yourself in the process, right?” He approached Nico again, Nico flinching to retreat backwards but restraining the urge. “You’re really obvious.”

Nico looked at Mark, offended. “What? Are you saying you already knew?”

“Of course I did. Sure, you were more subtle than you were pursuing Dani, but it was enough for me to rightly assume.”

Nico crossed his arms and sighed. “So. If...that’s it, does that mean you’re okay with it?”

Mark took a deep breath. “You’re obvious, but you’ve always been oblivious, too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Nico said, leaning forward without moving his legs.

Mark rubbed the side of his neck. It was his turn to be flustered. “I’m definitely more than okay with it.”

Mark looked to the side, face becoming redder the more he confessed. “You haven’t noticed all this time. That the things you say to me always affect me more than if anyone else would have said them. How giddy I was to hear you apologize for your absence, meaning we could spend time together again.” 

Just as Nico had, Mark started to spill his heart out too. “I’m always teasing you because I knew. But, when was I supposed to say anything? I could guess that you had feelings for me, but when I saw how you acted with Dani, I thought I didn’t really have much of a chance anymore. You were still great to me, but she became your top priority. She still is.”

Nico covered his face in embarrassment. He felt like there were fireworks going off in his stomach, but at the same time he wanted to punch the shit out of himself for being so blind to others feelings all the time. “I’m really stupid. We’re really stupid, aren’t we?”

Mark chuckled and made a noise of agreement. “Say what you said earlier, please.”

Nico looked up at him inquisitively. “I said a lot of things, be specific.”

“Say that you love me.”

Nico was instantly bright red. “W-WwhaAT?! You can’t be serious! That’s too embarrassing!”

Mark smirked smugly at Nico. “Why’s that? You said it just a few minutes ago, didn’t you? I don’t see a problem.”

Nico shook his head back and forth a few times before giving in. “Fine, whatever, I know you’re just gonna ask again…” He cleared his throat nervously. “I love you,” he whispered again, heart racing.

Mark wrapped his arms around Nico, palms pressing again his back. Nico stuttered unintelligibly before hugging back. “I love you too, Nico. Have for seven years.” Nico cried a second time.

“What the hell...I’m so happy.”

—

After tiptoeing away, to what he assumed was out of hearing range, Dorian busted into Damien’s room. His half asleep brother jerked awake at the noise, expecting an emergency.

“Damien! There’s more gay people!”

**Author's Note:**

> youre gay


End file.
